~snip~

On 21 September 1970, Allende had been declared victor of clean elections, but before he took over the presidency, after a fruitless effort by Chilean conservatives and their US allies to have the victory declared unconstitutional, Edward Korry, the US ambassador in Santiago, reported to Henry Kissinger, the foreign strategist of President Richard Nixon: "Once Allende comes to power we shall do all within our power to condemn Chile and the Chileans to utmost deprivation and poverty."

A few days earlier Richard Helms, director of the CIA, had scribbled notes on a meeting in Washington with Nixon, Kissinger and John Mitchell, the US attorney general, where the president demanded a coup. They read: "One in 10 chance perhaps, but save Chile! /worth spending /not concerned risks involved /no involvement of embassy /$10,000,000 available, more if necessary/ best men we have/ game plan/ make the economy scream /48 hours for plan of action."

After Allende's enemies finally claimed their victory against him on 11 September, Chileans protected themselves as best they could while Pinochet and his cohorts, well favoured now by Washington, turned to making themselves fortunes from the privatisation of public services and, quietly, from the trade in cocaine from Bolivia which the US never seemed to want to criticise or attack.

So confident was Pinochet in his protectors in "the free world" that on 17 September 1976 he ordered the killing of Orlando Letelier, Allende's former defence minister, with a bomb planted in his car in Sheridan Circle in the diplomatic heart of Washington itself. Such an atrocity, had it been committed by any Arab or Iranian, or indeed a Muslim of any persuasion, would have brought down instant punishment, or even war. But Pinochet was in no danger. After all, he had been Nixon's man all along.

was assassinated. It was no suprise to anyone who was behind it

Ronnie Moffit who was with Letelier (if memory serves)

Injured her husband, who was in the car, too.

It's amazing how little was done to cover that story, isn't it?

Dirtbags.

And I remember the Bombing in D.C. it amounted to the overworked phrase today-- "Terrorist Act" .

But Tricky Dick and the rest of the criminals just smirked and walked away.

cost them as many souls as ours, I figure. Karma's a bitch

And they will do the same thing again, if it means there are more $$$$ in this outrage for them. In Chile's nightmare, these thugs made Billions on the Copper they stole from the People.

despite the fact that my students have just completed the conquest in their readings.

Hope you will be helping to awaken US Americans for years to come. It may be the last chance they have to find out the truth of what has happened before their minds close!